Cloth laying and cutting machine



7 25118613 81166? 1. A. J. TOWER.

CLOTH LAYING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

7 (No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. J. TOWER. CLOTH LAYING AND CUTTING MACHINE. NO. 354,952. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

, tion.

iT D STATES ATENT Fries.

ABNER J. TOWER, OF BOSTON,MASSAOHUSETTS.

CLOTH LAYING AND CUTTlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 854,952, dated December 28, 1886. I

Application filed April 28, 1884. Serial No, 129,646. (No model.) I

This invention has for its object the production of a machine whereby the cloth to be cut may be laid evenlyand smoothly, and may be fed forward mechanicallyin position to be out. In this invention a long tableis'provided with a cloth feeding mechanism, and cloth laid thereon from a traveling carrier or carriage is fed or brought forward above a bed-plate over which is placed a cloth cutting mechanism of usual construction, by which the cloth may be cut. I

Figures 1 and 2, taken together, represent a top view of a machine embodying my inven- Figs. 3 and 4, taken together, represent the greater part of one side of the said machine, the table being broken off to shorten it; Fig.5, a section ofFig. 8 on the dotted x 00 and Fig. 6 is'a section ofFig. 4 on the dot ted line as m.

The cloth-cutting bed A has at one side of it a cloth-cutting mechanism, B, it having a jointed arm and preferably a rotating cutter, b, to be moved about over the bed and cloth to follow any usual marking and cut the cloth of several thicknesses into the desired forms.

The cloth'cntting mechanism hereinshown is substantially such as represented in United States Patent N o. 134, 793, to which reference may be had, and so need not be herein more fully described.

The bed or support A, by which the cloth is supported to be cut, is provided with recesses a to receive clamps a, shown as hooked rods connected with a crossbar, a attached by links or equivalents (0* to a treadle, (1. which may be depressed to draw the clamps down upon the ends of the layers of cloth to hold them fast while the cloth is being laid upon the table 0, located at the end of the bed A.

The treadle has at one side a plate, a, to engage a notched plate, a", by which the-treadle may be locked in position. The cross-bar and clamp when the treadle is unfastened are elevated by cords a and weights a The long table 0 has at each side atrack, c,

to receive the wheelsdof a traveling cloth car- The smoothing-bars are held together by bolts 8, provided with thumb-nuts 7, and in the spaces between adjacent smoothing-bars, (see Fig. 6,) at one end, are edge-gagesf, (shown in heavy black,) against each of which one edge of the selvage of each web is pressed, and by which the said selvages at one side are all brought into the same vertical line. These edgegages areplaced alittle nearer the center of the carrier than are the ends of the rolls of cloth back of them atthe same side of the carrier, so that each selvage is forced out into the same line, and in front of thesmoothing-bars the accumulated webs of cloth, one

against the other, are led under a diagonally.

placed and longitudinally-.grooved wrinklerubbing roller, G, having itsjournals in arms G, pivoted to the cloth carriage or carrier D at 10, the said roller serving to lay the Webs of cloth directly upon the long canvas apron H, of a single thickness, laid upon the top of the long table between the tracks 0 c, the two ends of the said apron, or it might be called a long blanket, being connected in any suitable manner directly to the wooden rollers h h, secured to shafts having on them gears h h", respectively,which are engaged by gears h* h provided with cranks or handles h If, whereby the said gears and shafts may be rotated by hand in one or the other direction, as it is desired to drag the'apron with the cloth spread out upon it up to the cuttingmechanism preparatory to piling the cloth upon it in layers, as described, to be fed forward to be cut.

The accumulated webs of cloth Hfllaid upon each other in a pile to be out, are of sufficient body to be pushed by the apron H upon the cutting-bed beyond the roller h in the direction of the movement of the pile of webs.

The movable apron H constitutes a cloth-feeding mechanism.

The roller h is shown located at the end of the table 0 next the bed A, and just beyond the spot where the apron passes down upon the said roller are the two clamps a a, so that the ends of the several webs of cloth may be placed under the said clamps when the carrier is at that end of the table, the said clamps holding the said ends as the carrier is rolled or drawn outward on the table toward its other end, such movement of the carrier effecting the laying of several webs of clothone upon the other above the apron.

During the outward movement of the carrier the weight of therollerG. rests upon the webs of cloth, which are subjected to some tension by the smoothing-bars and by suitable friction appliances, 13, applied to the shafts on which the cloth is wound, and the roll G being placed diagonally, as shown, and drawn over the cloth, acts upon the same from the selvages, which are laid in line outward, wiping or rub bing the wrinkles backward and toward the oppositeselvages, so that therebyit is possible to lay several layers of cloth with their selvages at one side of the pile substantially in line, thussecuring uniformity of laying,which is essential when numerous layers are to be cut through. The friction devices 13 are shown as straps secured at one end to the uprights 17, then passed over the journals 16, and held down by weights 18. The webs having been laid upon the feeding-apron over the whole length of the table are out 01f and their ends are unclamped, and then the apron is moved to carry the superimposed webs forward to the cutting mechanism, and the cloth lying thereon will be pushed forward by the apron over and upon the smooth bed A beyond the point where l the apron descends below the table to be wound upon the roller h, and the cloth to be cuthaving been placed in proper position thereon, the movement of the apron will be stopped until the cutter cuts into desired shapes the cloth on or above the said bed, and thereafter the apron will be again moved to bring a fresh supply of cloth upon the bed as it may be needed.

The number of layers of cloth upon the table may be as many as the cutter can penetrate, and the table and apron may be of any desired length.

To move the carrier D automatically, Ihave mounted two pulleys, 1) 19, in suitable bearings attached to the ceiling, and stretched over them a belt or cord, p which is moved by one of the pulleys,which is driven positively, and I have provided the carrier at one side with a spring-actuated clamp, t, which may be made to grasp the said traveling belt or cord to move the carrier in unison with it.

The clamp t (see Figs. 4 and 6) is shown as composed of astationary plate, 19, under which the band p passes, and a spring push -piece, 21, having the coiled spring 23 encircling its stem 22 and tending to throw and press it up against the cord or band and bind it between the piece 21 and plate 19. These parts are supported upon astandard, 20, rising from the carrier D.

I do not desire to limit my invention to the exact devices shown for clamping the ends of the cloth or the exact form of carrier for the cloth, as it is obvious they may be variously modified by the use ofothcr well-known equivalents without departing from my invention.

I claim- I I 1. The table, and clamps to hold the ends of the webs of cloth, and the apron upon which the cloth is piled or laid, combined with the carrier or carriage made movable above the said table on a suitable track to deliver the cloth on the said apron, and means for operating said clamps, apron, and carrier, substantiall y as described.

2. The combination, substantially as described, of the cloth-cutting bed A, cloth-cutting mechauism mounted thereon, a table, and an apron upon which the cloth is laid and by it fed, and means to move said apron, clamps to engage the ends of the cloth, and a cloth carrier or carriage mounted upon wheels on ways on the table, and means, substantially as described, to traverse said carrier, substantially as set forth. v

3. Thetable, cloth-carrier mounted on tracks thereon, and means to move it, combined with smoothing-bars, and a rotary wrinkle-rubber placed diagonally with respect to said bars, and both bars and roller mounted upon the cloth-carriage, substantially as described.

4. The bed and cutting mechanism, the apron and means to move the same, and the table, combined with the carrier or carriage for the webs of cloth, and means to move it, the said carrier being provided with smoothing-bars, edge-gages, and a diagonally-placed wrinkle rubber, to operate all substantially as described. x

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ABNER J. TOWER.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, B. J. NoYEs.

IIC 

